William BALDWIN

DEATH OF CONSTABLE BALDWIN.

Evidence at the inquest.

The City coroner, Mr. Stephen Murphy, yesterday morning held an inquest concerning the death of William Baldwin, a police-constable,who shot himself at Camperdown on the 6th Inst.

Senior-constable Develin said he found deceased lying on the floor in the back bedroom upstairs face upwards, wearing his uniform. There was a bullet hole in the left breast. Deceased’s wife handed him a revolver, which contained four ball cartridges, and the shell of an empty one. Rose Baldwin, widow of deceased, residing at 5 Derby-street, Camperdown, said that on the 6th inst., her husband was at home. He had been very quint, and between 8 and 9 a.m. witness went downstairs. Deceased was collecting up his police things, as if he were going away. Witness said, “Bill, where are you going,’ and he replied, “I am going to your mother’s.” Witness then said, “Bill, you musn’t go there.” They both went into the kitchen, and her husband put his hand under her chin, when she exclaimed, “Bill, it you want to choke me, choke me,”, and he dropped his hand and did not say anything. She then went to her mother’s place. She returned about noon, and on going upstairs later saw her husband in the back bedroom, sitting on a little, low step, and witness said to her husband, “Bill, are you mad?” Deceased then pointed the revolver at her, and said, “‘It’s cocked, touch that.” She replied, “I don’t want to die.” Her husband thrust the revolver under his coat, and fired it at himself. She had had no quarrel with her husband. Dr. Stratford Sheldon said his examination showed that the bullet had been discharged at close quarters, penetrating the underlying heart. The Coroner returned a verdict that deceased died from the effects of a bullet wound, self-inflicted.

“I Am Fall Of This Life.”

THE police report regarding the suicide of Constable William Baldwin in his home at Camperdown, Sydney, on Friday, has been forwarded to the City Coroner.

Senior-constable Develin, of Newtown, states that earlier in the day Mrs. Baldwin went to her mother’s residence, a short distance away.

She returned about noon and found Baldwin writing at the dining-room table.

Shortly after he took his uniform revolver and put it in his pocket and went up stairs. His wife followed a few minutes later and found him sitting on the doorstep of a back room with the revolver muzzle against his left breast.

” Pull this trigger, ” said Baldwin. ” No ” she replied. Deceased then pulled the trigger , and fell back, dying almost immediately.

Not long after the police arrived and found some papers in his pocket.

One was his will, dated Thursday in which he bequeathed all his property to his wife.

At the bottom, in the space for witnesses’ signatures, was written in, indelible lead pencil ( as was Baldwin’s own signature ), ” No time for witnesses.”

Written on the back of half a constable’s report form was the following note:

I am full of this life, fighting every day ( sick to the neck ). I wish all my comrades good-bye. All I feel sorry for is my three dear children— Myrtle, Rose, Stanley.

God bless the children. A kiss for them all.

Good-bye everybody.—

William Baldwin,”

6th ‘October 1911.

WITHOUT THE OPTION

A seaman named Horace Firrell, 32, was charged at the Water Police Court this morning with assaulting Constable William Baldwin on the 5th instant.

The constable informed the court, that while he was arresting another man on the steamer Hawkes Bay at Woolloomooloo yesterday, the accused threw a couple of lumps of coal. The coal struck witness on the head.

Firrell, who had no evidence to offer, was sentenced to 21 days imprisonment without the option of a.?? ( fine? )